August tips for keeping chickens

A henkeeper for more than 20 years with a 400-strong flock on her Surrey farm, Suzie Baldwin offers her advice on keeping chickens

The Pekins have a new coop this month and seem rather taken with it. They've been clucking excitedly while exploring, rather like a group of girls in a new boutique. I'm also a big fan, as it can be moved about so they have fresh pasture to graze and, made from recycled plastic, it's easy to clean.

Once a week, in the afternoon, after the hens have laid, I wash it with hot water and detergent and leave it to dry before they return in the evening.

If you have a wooden henhouse, reduce the amount of time you spend scrubbing it by lining the floor with remnants of cheap lino – simply turn up the sides and tip the droppings straight into the compost bin.

During summer, chickens love to dust-bathe. Shaking the soil in among their plumage helps them to keep cool and healthy – it removes excess oil from feathers and eliminates any pests. Your flock will burrow into the earth, often choosing areas by boundaries to create their hollows – you may wish to provide ready-made dust baths to prevent them undermining your fence. To do this, fill large, high-sided seed trays with dry soil, compost, sand and ash, then position in a shaded area.

Photo: Getty

August tips for keeping chickens

• Gather nettles, wearing protective gloves, then blanch them for a few minutes and freeze in small batches. Give them to your flock for a dose of vitamin C and iron.

• Keep chickens healthy by worming them with a natural product such as Verm-X once a month.

• Hang bunches of fragrant herbs, including mint, rosemary or lavender, in the coop to mask odours, which are especially pungent in the heat.

Did you know.... Very fresh eggs have a cloudy white caused by CO2, which gradually escapes from the shell?

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